No. 16 (1992)
Articles

Spirituality and the use of alcohol among the people of Otavalo

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  • Bárbara Y. Butler
Bárbara Y. Butler
University of Rochestar. New York. Estados Unidos

Published 2021-05-07

Keywords

  • spirituality,
  • alcohol consumption,
  • colonization,
  • Otavalo,
  • social problems of substance abuse

Copyright (c) 1992 IOA-author

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Butler, B. Y. (2021). Spirituality and the use of alcohol among the people of Otavalo. Revista Sarance, 16, 31-64. https://doi.org/10.51306/

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Abstract

This article examines the relationship between spirituality and alcohol consumption among the inhabitants of San Rafael, Otavalo, focusing on how the consumption of chicha and trago reflects and shapes their cultural values and beliefs. Throughout history, alcohol has been considered a sacred substance in the Andes, facilitating the connection between the community and the spiritual cosmos. However, since the Spanish conquest, cultural differences in alcohol use have generated conflicts, with European colonizers interpreting these practices in a pathological manner. The study analyzes how, throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, socioeconomic changes have increased alcohol consumption, exacerbating social and health problems. Through observations made in the 1970s, the article explores how consumption rituals continue to be a way of channeling spiritual and social values, and discusses the implications of these rituals for the prevention of suffering in indigenous communities in transition.

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